Shooting itself in the foot
As the lead organization in maintaining peace and order, the Philippine National Police must know what it is doing in authorizing civilians to own semi-automatic rifles and 7.62mm-caliber firearms. The 7.62mm guns include sniper and battle rifles as well as machine guns. Why does the PNP want such firepower in the hands of civilians?
The United States is Exhibit A for the argument that the accessibility of guns encourages armed violence, with even teenagers killing classmates and teachers in their schools and young children shooting playmates as they mimic scenes on TV or in the movies.
While there is a continuing effort in the US to curb gun ownership, however, the Philippines is going in the opposite direction. This is despite the country having the highest homicide rate in the region, and impunity high because of the failure to catch and prosecute killers.
If the reason for the PNP order is to increase civilians’ capability to protect themselves, it is an indirect admission of failure on the part of the police to keep the public safe. The country is already bristling with loose firearms, with many politicians maintaining private armies who are deployed for a wide range of criminal activities including harassment and murder of opponents and critics. Members of bandit groups and organized crime rings, including drug dealers, human traffickers, smugglers, kidnappers and illegal gambling barons are already heavily armed. What the country needs is a crackdown on this kind of firepower rather than facilitation of armed violence.
Instead of giving civilians more firepower, the PNP should pull out all its personnel providing security to VIPs. All Filipinos are taxpayers who deserve equal police protection. Many of these police security escorts serve as virtual private armies of politicians.
The PNP said it merely wanted high-powered guns already in the hands of civilians to be registered. But Sen. Imee Marcos warned that the PNP’s order, which required amendment of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, could lead to an increase in criminality, terrorism, arms smuggling and deadly violence. The PNP, she said, “is shooting itself in the foot and compromising law enforcement efficiency and, above all, public safety.”
The PNP order comes as the 2025 midterm elections approach. Every electoral exercise in this country is marred by armed violence as politicians resort to murder to eliminate rivals. Allowing civilians to own high-powered guns can only encourage more armed violence. It’s the PNP’s job to deal with this problem. Maybe it just wants a bigger headache.